Psalm 32 - 3.4.25

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm 32:1,2 “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

OBSERVATION:  This psalm is a penitential psalm written by David.  When he had been in great despair after sinning against God, he prayed out for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing, and God answered his prayer of confession and repentance by mercifully forgiving him. 

APPLICATION:  Sin alienates us from God, but like David, once our sins have been forgiven, we go from despair -  to joy and praise after we’ve become recipients of God’s love and forgiveness.  God loves us, and knows us, and when we confess our sins, express our doubts and fears, and pour our true feelings out to Him, it helps guide us into a closer and deeper relationship with Him. 

PRAYER:  Thank You Lord for forgiving my sins.  Thank You for not counting them against me. What joy and relief it feels to walk in Your forgiveness.  I did nothing to deserve it, but You lovingly and graciously forgave the guilt of my sin.  How blessed I am!  I rejoice and praise You with such gratitude in my heart that my sin was paid for in full on the cross! Thank You Lord for Your faithful Word which declares that sins confessed are sins forgiven!

- Robin Orefice

Psalm 31 - 3.3.25

Scripture

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭31‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV

“Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”

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Observation

In this psalm of David, he is crying out to God for help. David is pleading to God to deliver him from his enemies and his difficult circumstances. But even through his hardships, David’s faith never wavers. Instead David finds his confidence in placing his full trust and reliance on God. David finds his strength and comfort knowing God’s faithfulness.

Application

When life’s troubles are weighing you down and your knees feel like buckling under the pressure…fall on them and PRAY 🙏🏽!

We all face struggles and hardships in life.  But we don’t have to let them break us. We can find comfort, (like David here), knowing we have a God who is a reliable source of strength and security. No matter how big our troubles seem, our God is BIGGER! So why not seek Him?! He is in every detail of our lives, and He would love to hear from us. Seek Him earnestly. Seek Him often. Lay all our worries and concerns over to Him and trust Him. He will see us through. 😊

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” -‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being my rock, my tower of refuge and strength. Thank You for shielding me from my enemies, and for seeing me through all of life’s difficult circumstances. Forgive me for my times of doubt and fear. May I always be reminded in those times of darkness to seek You first. And when I seek You, may I find comfort and rest knowing that You are in control of it all, and that You are my God. And You are a God who is ALWAYS faithful. And I pray these things in Jesus name, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Psalm 28 - 2.28.25

Scripture: Psalms 28:6-7

6  Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. 7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Observation

This is a Psalm of David. He is very distressed in the beginning of the chapter and he is crying out to God to hear his supplications. Supplication is a specific kind of prayer; it’s a cry for mercy. When David gets to verse 6, he starts to praise the Lord and thank him for hearing his cry for help and he has faith that God is with him and will help him.

Application

Many years ago, when I was married to my first husband, he was very abusive verbally and mentally. He kept having affairs with other women and blaming me for his actions. When I would confront him or make him go to marriage counseling, he would try to make me out as being crazy or what they now call “gaslighting”. I spiraled into a deep, dark hole and felt so afraid and alone. My life was crumbling all around me and there was nothing I could do about it. I would lay face down on the floor and cry out to God to help me. I was so desperate for His help and I would voice my supplications with tears streaming down my face. I started seeing a Christian Counselor and she would speak the truth to me and always bring me back to Jesus. She told me to keep my eyes on Jesus and not look at my circumstances. That God loved me and He was my strength and my shield. She helped me climb out of my dark hole and start to live again.

When life is unbearable and you can’t see a way out, Jesus is there to take your hand and walk with you or even carry you…if necessary. Write down all the times God has helped you through a hard time. Read it every day and KNOW that he is working in the background for your good. You have to keep your eyes on Jesus and not look at the circumstances. I use to quote the scripture Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint”. I would picture myself soaring above all my problems and then I would start thanking and praising the Lord for how He was going to work everything out for my good. By the time I showed up at work the Joy of the Lord was bubbling out of me. I will forever Praise the Lord with all my heart and soul because His mercies are new every morning!

Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank You for loving us so much and hearing the cries of our heart. Thank You for being our strength and shield when life becomes overwhelming. Lord teach us to Trust You in all things and keep our eyes fixed on You. Help us to surrender our lives to you so that you can mold and make us into your precious vessels. The Joy of the Lord is my Strength and I will worship the Lord all the days of my life.

- Michelle Craig